This page contains some basic information about voices, visions and other unusual sensory perceptions. If you feel you know little about the experience of hearing voices or seeing visions, it’s a good place to start. However if you already know the basics and would like some more detailed information, check out the other pages in this section.

What Are Voices & Visions?

When we talk about voices and visions, we simply mean someone is hearing, seeing or sensing something that others around them aren’t. These experiences can include all five senses, hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch. These experiences can occur in one sense at a time (hearing a voice, for example, or smelling something), but they can also happen in combination.

For some, these experiences can be comforting. For example, someone who is lonely may really value a voice that becomes a trusted confidant. A person who has recently lost someone they care about may benefit from talking to them at the end of the day, or smelling their perfume/aftershave. Others find these experiences to be a source of inspiration. Authors, for example, sometimes talk about how the characters can come to life and write the story for them. However, for some people these voices and visions can be extremely distressing – criticising, threatening or causing confusion.

How Common Is It?

Statistics vary, but it’s generally accepted that between 3 and 10% of the population hear voices that other people don’t. If you include one off experiences (like hearing someone call your name when you’re out shopping, or feeling your phone vibrate in your pocket) this figure goes up to 75%. So, having at least one experience of hearing or seeing something that others around you don’t is incredibly common. Those that have never had this experience are in the minority.

A number of famous and important people (past and present) have experience of hearing or seeing things that other people don’t. Without these people, the world would be a very different place. This list of famous people who have talked or written about hearing voices includes: Gandhi, Socrates, Joan of Arc, Freud, Anthony Hopkins, Philip K Dick, John Frusciante, Carlos Santana, Robert Schumann, John Forbes Nash, Zoe Wannamaker and Charles Dickens.

What’s It Like?

We’re all unique, so it’s unsurprising that voices and visions can be equally individual in terms of their identity, content, interpretation and impact. The following gives a brief overview. If you don’t recognise your experience here, that doesn’t mean you’re ‘weird’ or ‘unusual’.

Voices

Some people hear voices talking when no-one is around. These could be like the voices of people they know, or complete strangers. They might hear many voices, or just one. Voices can shout, whisper, be clear or muffled. They can speak in sentences or say single words. These voices can be male, female, genderless, old or young. Sometimes they have names, but not always. Voices can speak constantly (24/7), but they can also utter occasional words or phrases. People can hear other types of sounds too, including knocking, rustling, crying, screaming or music.

Some voices can be positive – providing the support and encouragement someone needs to get through the day. Other voices can be confusing, perhaps echoing thoughts or repeating strange phrases. Some voices can be very frightening, saying things that are critical, threatening or commanding. Voices can claim to have great power and knowledge, which can sometimes leave the voice-hearer feeling scared and powerless. Some voices can leave a person feeling very vulnerable and exposed (e.g. hearing a crowd of people jeering at you, or discussing intimate details of your life).

Visions

Some people see things that others don’t. These visions can be very clear and realistic, but they can also include fuzzy shapes, shadows and beams of light. Some people see the voices that they hear, others see insects or spiders. For some, the visions are very complex (like entering into another world). For others, the visions sit alongside their everyday world (an added box, person or animal for example). Sometimes, it can seem as if people or objects are changing shape. Their faces may turn to stone, they may be surrounded by a coloured aura or, for example, their eyes may change colour. As with voices, these visions can be reassuring, funny, frightening or distracting.

Smells

Some people smell things that remind them of their past. This could be something nice, like a loved one’s perfume/aftershave or a favourite food.

Sometimes people smell things that remind them of a particularly traumatic experience. For example, someone who survived a house fire may smell smoke when they feel anxious. Someone who was hurt by someone wearing a particular scent may, sometimes, smell this when there is no-one there to account for it. This can be extremely frightening, especially if they don’t recognise that this sensory experience comes from the past.

For others, the smell isn’t linked to a particular memory or traumatic event. For example, some people smell gas, burning or rotting food. These smells can feel very real and leave them fearing for their safety.

Taste

It can be difficult for someone to know that they’re tasting something that others can’t – unless they get someone else to try it too. This can make taste experiences particularly difficult to deal with. Some people get a strong bitter taste in their food or drink and, understandably, start to worry that there is something wrong with it. This can lead people to worry that they are being poisoned, or that someone is tampering with their food. Others have taste sensations when they are not eating. This might be when they are hearing a voice, watching a TV programme or thinking about something. These taste sensations can be pleasant (e.g. chocolate or a favourite food), but they can also be unnerving or unpleasant (e.g. something bitter or metallic).

Feeling (touch)

Some people can feel things on their skin when there doesn’t seem to be anything there. They might feel something crawling over their skin, tickling them or pushing them. Sometimes people feel something underneath their skin, and this can lead them to feel really worried about what is happening to their body.

Understandably these experiences can be very confusing and frightening. It’s not as simple as this, though. For others, these experiences can be reassuring. Someone who feels lonely and hears a reassuring voice may feel comforted if they feel a hand on their shoulder. They might interpret it as a sign that the voice is trying to support them.

Why Do People Hear Voices

There are lots of different theories and ideas to explain why people hear voices or see visions. These include:

A special gift or sensitivity

Trauma or adverse life experiences

Dissociation

Spiritual experiences

Biochemical (e.g. excess dopamine)

Paranormal experiences

Emotional distress

Physical health problems

Cognitive error (misattribution of ‘internal speech’)

Individual difference

The truth is that we do not know why people hear voices or see visions. As the experience is so diverse, it’s likely that there are a number of different explanations. Whilst this can be frustrating for those who feel confused and would like a simple answer or some certainty, it means that the most important explanation is the one that the voice-hearer themselves finds useful. It is important not to impose your own belief on someone else’s experience – this is fundamental to the Hearing Voices Network approach. Rather than providing a dogmatic view of voice-hearing, we recognise and celebrate a festival of explanations.

Whatever someone believes about their experiences, the most important thing is to find ways of dealing with that belief and finding some sense of power, control and hope within it.

Does Everyone who Hears Voices Get a Diagnosis of Schizophrenia or Psychosis?

Whilst many people associate voice-hearing with diagnoses of schizophrenia and psychosis, research suggests that the majority of people who hear voices have no mental health issue at all. Those who become overwhelmed, distressed or struggle to cope

Those who become overwhelmed, distressed or struggle to cope in some aspect of their life may receive a range of diagnoses including: anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder (also known as ’emotionally unstable personality disorder’), obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, psychosis, dissociative identity disorder, eating disorder, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

When someone receives a diagnosis, this diagnosis is not necessarily for life. Many people who are part of our network have met the criteria for a diagnosis at some point in their lives – but no longer do.

Diagnoses like these are a hotly contested area – with some finding that they are useful and others finding them a barrier to healing. For more information on a critical perspective on diagnoses, see: Position Statement on DSM 5 &#038; Psychiatric Diagnosis. You might also find Lucy Johnstone’s book ‘A Straight Talking Introduction to Psychiatric Diagnosis‘ an interesting introduction to the debate.

If you’re struggling with voices or visions, please speak to someone. See our page on getting help for more information.

Is Recovery Possible?

At the Hearing Voices Network, we use the word recovery to mean ‘living the life you choose, not the life others choose for you’ (whether those others are family, friends, workers or voices). Many people who hear voices simply don’t need to recover – they are already living lives that they love. The voices might enhance their wellbeing, or their experiences may simply not detract from it.

For those who have particularly overwhelming experiences that lead them into the mental health services, recovery can feel like a distant dream. The good news is that people can, and do, find ways to deal with (and recover from) distressing voices. Perhaps more importantly, people can also recover from the situations that can make voices and visions so hard to deal with. Many people who recover continue to hear voices. Sometimes these voices change during the recovery process (being an ally, rather than an attacker). Other times these voices become quieter, less intrusive or even disappear altogether. Others find that the voices stay the same, but that they are no longer ruled by them. They feel stronger and more able to choose whether to listen to the voices or not.

We have witnessed many amazing journeys of recovery in the Hearing Voices Network. These journeys are, by their very nature, very individual. However, these journeys have led us to believe that no matter how overwhelmed or distressed the person is by their experiences (or whatever labels they have collected throughout their time in the mental health system) – recovery IS possible.

357 responses to “Basic Information About Voices & Visions”

I was directed here by voices in my head. Yes I hear voices, and I don’t think it is strange… It is very natural to me (*I hear the voices, because they are there… not because I am imagining them)… The voices are projections… that is what I know… I don’t know where they come from, but they come. I have been aware of my ability to hear voices for about eight years now. I don’t know why this is happening, but it is happening. I liked your article. Thank you for your insight.

I want to share my experiences in hearing voices. I can choose to hear the voices or not. If I want to cut the voices off I have that option. The voices I hear can be positive and negative. I know when I hear negative spirits I can cut it off but it tells me that I need to pray to Archangel Michael to remove the negativity. Although I now know that I only let those voices come in when I have fears and so in this I am trying very hard not to let them in – think from the heart for that is love…

I believe that it is God that I am speaking too. I have fears about this and try to believe that he is the person I am talking to. My life is surrounded with love and I have love in my heart so how can I not believe…..

I am grateful to have found your website. I hear voices… I hear my own voice, alot… and sometimes my mother…. or my partner… and then just ‘tones’ or ‘voices’… most of the time I’m just confused about what I have heard, wondering most of all ‘who’ it is and ‘what’ they said… I have given up asking ‘why’… I am lucky that it has never been negative, in what I hear… It’s positive… albeit my reaction to it has varied between extreme negativity (at first) and extreme positivity to the voices… We all cope in different ways… Learning to cope is the hard part… Ofcourse with wicked websites like yours available; suggesting resources, putting an online community together, latest events… It makes the ‘coping’ a littel bit easier…

Hi there. It’s great to hear how your reactions have changed over time. Coping really can be a challenge – but I’m glad that our site and community is helpful. We’re going to keep adding to it and, hopefully, reach out to more people. Whether our voices are helpful, unhelpful, confusing, frightening or inspiring – we all have a lot to learn from one another.

i have 2 voices in my head 1 is female the other male people go on about negative thoughts but these are far worse a would say, its people i know or have heard of, a would say of the criminal side of things askin me questions, did a do this did you say that stuff that has happend in the past nd stuff that hasnt, its gettin worse with the stuff its like its my thoughts, but am not thinkin it the male voice is sayin thats what he was thinkin its hard to explain, its lyk am thinkin of something nd the male voice thinks of something at the same time as me and says thats what he was thinking to the other voice its very confusing nd its hard to concentrate, watching tele reading the paper phone calls txt msgs nd even driving is becoming a problem its 24/7 av been to see my GP explained am losing sleep when a wake at night both voices are there saying similar stuff he says buy some nytol, try that, he also says a should see a physchiatrist nd prescribed me some temazepam, the dreams am havin are weird my sleep is disturbed for some reason a keep believing the voices belong to real people they cant tell me what to do even though they try like self harm etc thats not the problem its the stuff thats popin in my head, my heads just f***ed up and a want them out my head can anybody help me? excuse the french and spelling a dont know what to do and dont like talking about them will they be in my head forever these are questions a need answered help me please if you can or know any medication i can take that helps

That sounds really stressful and confusing. I’m not surprised you just want them out of your head. Maybe others on here will have some suggestions and experiences to share. There is no one answer that works for everyone, but you’ll hopefully get some good suggestions.

The good news is that people can – and do – recover from distressing voices. Some people find that once they’ve worked out what’s triggering the voices the voices disappear. Others find that the voices become less intense and confusing the more they make sense of them. Horrible voices can even end up becoming positive. Medication can help some people who hear voices (your doc will talk with you about that) but there are other things you can do to cope too.

For some ideas, you could try:

Going to a Hearing Voices Group (check out our ‘find a group‘ page if you’re in the UK or email nhvn@hotmail.co.uk for details of your nearest group) Lots of people struggle to talk about the voices they hear, and you won’t be forced into talking about them unless you want to. Being around other people who have similar experiences and finding out how they deal with it can help.

Hi, sorry to read of your voices, this could even be a ‘paranormal’ kind of thing, perhaps changing where you live might help?-We don’t know about so much that happens to people, these voices could be the echo of people that lived where you are. also, you could try accepting that they are there, and not worrying about them, just let them be-I had a time where really irritating voices would circle in my head and say really awful things-

I just decided to accept that this was a part of the world and to not even bother about what they were saying-i found that they just disappeared, they got less and less frequent and vanished-it is when you allow yourself to get anxious and worries about them that they persist and get stronger, try some meditation music the really dreamy stuff and relax as much and as often as you can. And take the advice already given to you, but it is important you look after yourself and decide you are going to do something. Stay strong, and be well.

It’s just about the same for me, “anonymous me”. My voices – there are many, many of them – bring up stuff from my past since I was a little kid up till whatever happened yesterday. They try to make me feel guilty and responsible for things that, in reality, were out of my control or I had nothing to do with. They accuse me of things I did not do. They repeat the same stupid lies over and over. They are mean, critical, judgemental and cause a lot of stress in my life and in the lives of the people around me. I would not wish this on my worst enemy. I’m sorry you’re stuggling so much. I’ve been taking Risperdal for voices. It doesn’t make them go away completely, I still hear them – it just makes them easier to deal with. I have noticed that if I do not get enough sleep, or I get stressed the voices get worse, so much so that I can’t stand it at all. Unfortunately there’s no escaping the voices. The best thing you can do for yourself is take good care of yourself. Eat right, get enough rest, avoid stress, take whatever medications the doctor prescribes for you the way they are supposed to be taken. Don’t stop your meds without your doctor’s approval either. That can be very dangerous.
I hope and pray things get better for you very soon. I know the struggles you have, I’ve been a voice hearer for almost twenty years. I think what “HVN” posted in reply (above) is good sound advice and very helpful. It’s good to talk to others who hear voices so you know you’re not alone. It’s also good though, to remain in reality by talking to a professional and people who love you whom you can trust. Try not to let the voices get the upperhand, and if they do please talk to someone about it. The voices can be very detrimental to us, make us do things we wouldn’t normally do under different circumstances.
Take care, God bless you.

it’s been a year since i’ve been hearing voices and auditory and visual hallucinations. Now all that’s remaining is voices and visions. I can telepath words too. It’s pretty neat having this much help with my daily life. I’m not sure I should keep hearing these voices because sometimes they can be annoying so I take more medicine if they get too close or loud. My voices were inside my head at first and really annoying so i sent them out of myhead by answering a prayer for them and now they are like ghosts that follow me everywhere i go. they are nice voices and they love me. so please send me any information that you can get about this. I’m really interested in hearing about this.

I would like to say or rather add that I was not told but the idea to look it up was not mine. I have two voices. 2 male, one is very brutish and strong. but he is a good guy hes more of the flash and show. and the other is smart, lazy, and a complete genius, I listen to him more often because I love to play strategy games and so i’ll let him/them set up my game and I have to try and beat it. in a sense I grow from them and they from me. that is one of the things we all love to do. so others who dont know what they want, find it out and enjoy their company. P.S. I do know their ages names and look. i’m 19 and i first started hearing at age 9. I have had other voices through out my life so far. they come and go but these two have stayed the whole time. if anyone would like to know more please send me a response. from Nomad of Dreams.

How are you these days?
I am having trouble with my son, Nate. He will be Eleven soon. He is hearing a mean voice of a teenage boy age approximately 17, he says. He is threatening to hurt my son. Stab him. He has never been very imaginative and has not had any real personal traumas. He pinpoints this starting last month after school let out for summer. He first seen a boy leap from behind a tree then I guess disappear. Then the voices came. He is very scared. Since your experiences started so early, do you have any advice? Did you ever hear mean and threatening voices? How did your mom help you?

Hi Elaine. I’m sorry your son Nate is struggling. We have certainly heard of a number of young people who have experiences like these. There is a London based project called ‘Voice Collective’ that support children and young people who hear voices or see visions. They support parents too, and have free downloadable booklets with info and coping tips. They also give email support to people outside of London if it’s helpful. Check out: http://www.voicecollective.co.uk/voices/voices_carers_main.html I wish you and your son the best.

Do you feel their energy when then are present and speak? Do you ever have a dialog exchange and question where they reign from or have them guide you to draw on a piece of paper where their mainstay is?

I’ve been hearing voices for 2 years; some comforting, some ‘secretly’ harsh/mean. Sometimes some of the males swear and get told off for it. It’s like these individuals in my head are some kind of organisation – i feel asif these characters are there to do what’s ultimately what’s good for me. They affect my surroundings and the people i meet, and if one of them says something directly to me – it happens. I hear them talking to each other in my head, which is interesting, and sometimes ‘walk in on them’ having ‘meetings’.
I believe these people deffinately can come about through a traumatic experience; i never knew that this was a possible option but it makes alot of sense now, as i remember them saying that they were there because i asked for help, and they started when i was seperated from my mum, where i continued to smell her herbal tea and appear taking over another character in my head.
I smell alot of things, some nice and some not so nice. Smelling a gassy smell whilst sitting down the other day, i cringed and heard a voice say ‘Its supposed to smell eggy’.
I realised that all these things make up who i am – that it’s all about balance between the masculine and feminine, and when i realised i started seeing yin yang symbols everywhere.
Sometimes it comes across as different teams of people, my side and a VS side. Ultimately though, i try to work in harmony with both considering they’re in my head, and i want us all to get along lol.
A ‘guide’ has litterally taken me to meet anorexia. I’ve never suffered with anorexia before, and have never thought much about it, but I’ve ‘met’ bug like creatures which inhabit the minds of sufferers and controlled them, telling them not to eat etc and celebrating the damage they cause; I sound crazy aha, but i later learnt that anorexic sufferers have a ‘voice’ in their head, they hear voices argueing too.
What I’ve grasped from my own personal view, is that there are ‘things’, i call them that because i have no idea what else to call them, which go around to different minds and appear as a part of you.
I found the whole voice thing very hard to deal with at first, i couldnt cope with being different and the changing thought pattern, but I guess I’m lucky. I never hear anything negative, and if i do i’m very quick to maintain control and make it clear that i’m not putting up with that behaviour and they quickly retreat. You’ve just got to establish boundraries in your head, it is yours after all, and remain calm. Just stay rational, they can’t hurt you:-) I’m so thankful for everything I’ve learnt from my experience, and that overall it’s been an positive one, and it’s made me a stronger, intelligent being.
B-)

Ella, I am so sorry to hear your about your situation. I have very similar circumstances and am quite frightened by the possible real threat of mental illness. I see a doctor this week to diagnose my condition. Perhaps you’d be kind enough to share more about your condition? Perhaps I’m just crazy for not meeting you sooner?

Thank you for sharing your experience! I enjoyed the read and I found your information on anorexia sufferers to be useful for me. Your relationship with the voices seems to be a good one and I’m happy to hear you are at peace with them.

yo yeh, so i was ‘avin a gud tyme at ma maytes right, nd a saw a monstor yeh… reet anyhow, he was getin’ closer to meh and ma brudas… some weird ting music came vowlin on da radio ting right, and i cudnt stp maseylf laffin…. imma driftin here.. yeh so bro, dis monstor was like propa scareh

Hi Alex. That sounds like a pretty full on experience to have – did your mates see it too, or was it just you? If it was just you, you’re not alone – lots of people see or hear things that others don’t. For some, it’s a one off. For others it happens now and then. Some people find they have experiences like this a lot, though. Do you have anyone you can talk to about it?

Hi Jack, it’s really hard when the voices are difficult to deal with. The good news is that there is support out there, and people can – and do – find ways of dealing with their voices. If you’re interested in meeting up with other people who are hearing voices (and finding ways of dealing with them) you might want to try a peer support group (find one near you using our Find A Group page). If there’s not one near you, you can get some peer support on our online forum. We’ve also got a free downloads page with coping strategies that may be helpful.

If it would help to talk things through with someone, you’re welcome to email us at nhvn@hotmail.co.uk or call us on 0114 271 8210. We can’t always answer the phone straight away, but someone will get back to you as soon as they can if you leave a message.

My neighbour is hearing voices and I’m not sure how to deal with it—
She believes shes going to be arrested for doing drugs but she doesn’t take any besides seiquil
How do I try and deal with this—-I have told her to come and get me when she’s hearing this stuff but she says I won’t hear him—-she just left her appartment to stay at a neighbours and just came and told me he followed her there—I want to support her but not sure what to say any longer

I hear voices I have 4 2 male and 2 female I first heared them when I was 5 am now 25 I find Evey day a stuggle but since I spoke out about my voices 3 years ago I don’t see an end in site for them to go at times the can be very nasty and other times posative when I do hear a posative voice.them form them I do grab it with both hands.to try and block out the negative voices

I’ve noticed that I sometime say things out loud but believe someone else who I’m with has said it, my friend was confused when I thought she had said my part of the conversation, it’s odd and worrying me, any advice is appreciated

Hi Bee. That does sound really confusing, but it’s good you recognise that it’s happening. Is anything happening just before this happens (are you feeling zoned out? stressed?) or have you noticed any other patterns? Or are you struggling with anything else at the moment (unusual things can sometimes happen when someone feels under stress or pressure). It sounds like talking to someone about it is a good idea, especially as it’s worrying you. Do you have anyone to speak to? You can email nhvn@hotmail.co.uk or call our office if you want to 0114 271 8210. Try not to worry too much, though. Many of us have unusual experiences at some point in our lives. The important thing is to speak to someone, especially if it’s causing you problems.

Hi, I have heard a voice since i was 8, i am now 48, it was my imaginary friend and still remains the same, i have visions some good some bad, over the last couple of years i feel things crawling on me but nothing is there, so i think they must be under my skin, i dont not what to do.

Hi Theresa, Feeling things crawling on your skin is really frightening (especially when you can’t see anything there). These experiences are surprisingly common, though. If you’ve been checked out and doctors can find nothing physical to cause these experiences, there are ways of coping with them. Some people find it helpful to try and find patterns in when it happens (does it happen at a certain time of day? with certain feelings? when you’re stressed? alone? remembering something?). Keeping a diary of when it happens can help with this. Others find activities that are calming/grounding help too (repeating a mantra, using your other senses to distract from the feeling or using body lotion on your skin). Everyone’s different, though, and different things work for different people.

To discuss coping tips with others, there is already a discussion thread in our Peer Support Forum.

do you still experience the sensation that something is crawling on you? This could be an energy which you are sensitive to and can feel a presence, not below your skin but connecting to your energy, possibly your own field. If you stand and close your eyes, consider allowing your hands to move to points where energy chords may need to be severed, cut. this will allow your own energy stream to remain vibrant. My experience is that the hearing, the seeing and the feeling are all interelated to our energies.

Hi, my son is 26 and has been diagnosed with bipolar and physcosis. He found out he had bipolar when he was 20 but only took meds for 3months. The past 6 years have been really hard for him, he finally started treatment about 6 weeks ago. He is on alot of meds and is really upset because he still can hear voices. It comes and goes with him and today they started in the morning and did not let up at all. He is so scared, he thinks he is crazy and says he can not take much more of it. He has not been able to explain the voices to me, could be he is afraid too, not sure. I am the only one who can be near him when he is going thru this, he gets angry and wants to punch himself in the head and bang it against the wall or whatever is available at the moment. He is still going to outpatient meetings daily and the doctor keeps working on his meds to help find a combo that will help him. There is so much more to what he goes thru but the voices are really bringing him down. My mom took her life when I was 7 years old and watching my son go thru this living h### is soooooo hard. I am so happy that I found your site and am hoping that it may bring a little bit of hope to him.

Thats terrible. How is he now? Does he recognize any of the voices? He is not crazy. Just badly influenced lets say “society” do they speak directly at him or about him? Or talking to eachother? Does he reply? He must not let anger get the best of him i guess. Ask what they want? Does that help? I experienced something alike, because the pressure that came with them was blowing up my mind and body, aching everywhere. Commenting on my every move, especially annoing when taking a shower or the other private place of my house.

I hear two voices: one sounds like my Mother and is wam and comforting, the other sound like a very angry version of myself and is harsh , crytical, and threatening. I have had the company of my Mothers voice for as long as I can remember and did not see this as different and thought everybody must have this sort of experience. My threatening voice became a problem a few years ago following a traumatic change in my physical health. This voice would come and tell me how badly I was doing or be otherwise abusive as I was trying to get well again. This voice now comes when I am upset or excited and as I have Rapid Cycling Bipolar the voice can be with me most of the time. Medication has helped to keep my mood stable but it is my mind set toward the voices that has helped most. I have to live a very simple sort of life to keep the voices away but keep pushing to extend what I can do and remain in control.

one ofmy voices has a bad temper and for awhile she was like harsh , crytical, and threatening too i found talking too her clamly for a good 3-4 hours helped cz after thats she has been much nicer still not great but it helped maybe it might help to talk to ur voice

Great site, very useful… I also hear voices, have done for a couple of years, they’re mostly harsh ones keeping tabs on me… it’s been a while since it all started, then it died down for a few months… but now they’re coming back again… and I’m thinking “just go away, you’re boring.” It’s hard to take a look outside to see if there is actually someone there… Sometimes I wonder do these voices come at a time when they KNOW you’re not going to look outside, on account of the paranoia that comes with the moment… once they’ve got you kept prisoner in your own home. I’d like to think it’s all in my head. I feel like a hostage. And what’s mad is last night it was raining – and it’s like the raindrops kind of became part of the abuse – my mind just began to expect everything had something say.

Do you often find that after the voices, when you reflect on them, there is more to the incident than there actually was?… so like, at times, i was having very vivid memories of moments actually talking to these voices in human form, and they’d tell me things that would happen and things I should do… when really, nothing like that happened at all, in reality… it was just planted into my head… I used to really visualise a scene that was planted in my head, it was like something I missed or forgot about and it was just being put back into my head. And often, time would be stretched when reflecting on these moments, these false memories… so like, a 5 minute conversation would become a lot longer in my reflection… and it’d hold a lot of delusions, things I’d use to make sense of the journey or whatever. That was something I went through and still do now and then…

ive heard voices on a number of occasions.. smelled things like gasoline and other unpleasent smells and have seen lots of shadowy figures. .. most of my experiences have been pretty scary.. some not so bad. sometimes the voices torment.. sometimes they just talk to themselves.. really i don’t know what to make of it. i was always trying to find an answer just so i could learn to except whatsoever happening. I saw here on the write up that other people also smell things like gas and see shadowy figures.. is this a mental condition?

I had no idea this existed.I’ve been hearing voices for the last 3 years and the words schizophrenia,narcotics and mental have been thrown around here and there.Though no diagnosis has been given despite hundreds of tests i’m pretty sure i’m schizo.I spoke to my dead mum just yesterday.I however slightly recall the events of yesterday.
Im tired of doctors and psychiatrists who do not help me at all,so i have turned to this site as a subsidiary aid.Wish i had the balls to tell my family i’m a mental freak.

Do your own research, figure out what the possible causes are, (triggers) and how to deal with it appropriately.

I don’t believe the physcotic medication is not for everyone, it is not effective for everyone, but for some it is.

You are not a mental freak. Clearly lots of people see things, hear things, feel things, its just society as a whole has not accepted it yet. No one is normal. And most people that do experience things keep it to themselves

Do your voices keep you from doing the things you like or are they just there? Yur not a mental freak haha, then i would b too 🙂

Accepting voices. : This acclaimed book illustrates how many people who hear voices come to terms with their experience without recourse to psychiatry. Focuses on techniques for dealing with voices, emphasising the importance of personal growth.

Im not saying read the book cus every one has got diffrent experiences on these matters, but i like to think, at least i think its my thought, there is a way with out the drama of meds. Could you tell more about the context of the voices/ conversations etc.?

Hi, my mum has been diagnosed with major depression with psychosis 2 months ago. I got help when her behaviours became more extreme. She had a UTI and that has been treated. Her voices tell her things such as my Dad having an affair, fictious appointments, my brother getting married in secret, she is having affairs, food and drink being contaminated. Its all very random. We manage the agitation as best as possible thru diversion tactics.

She now has malnutrition and the drugs are at the max now.
Is that damaging to the body? I have noticed a decline in her cognitive ability.
How long is recovery. Months? Years?
Are the drugs for life?
How does a sufferer have insight that voices arent true? Do they just stop hearing them?

I’ve come to your website through reading about HVN in “Muses, Madmen, and Prophets: Rethinking the History, Science, and Meaning of Auditory Hallucination” by Daniel B Smith (2007, Penguin Press)–and I commend his book to you. My one hearing experience came through a lengthy prayer venting great anger and grief at the news that my mentally ill father had quit taking his heart medication because he thought a faith healer had cured him of his heart condition. After I’d finished my diatribe/prayer, I just sat quietly without any conscious thought. I then clearly heard a voice which said, “It is better for your father to die with faith than to live without it.” There’s no way that thought could have come from my subconscious or out of my anger and sorrow. Hearing the voice made a “believer” of me, though–I believe there is some entity (God?) who has a better insight into my life than I and who “cared” enough to reach through wherever to give me a message that prepared me for my father’s suicide a few weeks later.

Because of my experience, I went to graduate school and was lucky to have studied under some of the greats in the Sociology of Mental Health field (did my doctoral work at The American University in Washington DC and studied under Morris Rosenberg, PhD at the University of Maryland, College Park until his death. Although I’ve never directly heard another voice since that time, I’m convinced that the ability lies within us all and that it occurs to many more people than are willing to admit it. I continue to study the phenomenon along with other unusual experiences such as dreams that portend the future and inspirational writing that comes from a unknown source.

You have a monumental task to re-educate society on voice hearing and other mysteries–keep up the good work!

I’ve been hearing voices for about a year now, maybe we just need to accept that it’s God or a spirit trying to help us, so we just need to accept it. Because clearly your not alone, lots of people seem to be experiencing the same thing. Its our souls that need help and we just happen to be people who are more receptive to the help then others. I don’t think medicine can help, i think we just need to learn to be true to ourselves. And we need to deal with the fact that this is not going to go away.

Thanks, and you just need to believe in yourself, accept the fact that you have a soul, and try to learn more. if you choose to, we can do whatever we want, and don’t worry too much about it.

Hi. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. Believing in ourselves sounds like veyr wise advice. It’s great that you’ve found a way of understanding your experiences that it helpful to you – at HVN we believe that there are many different reasons people come to hear voices or see visions, though. The key is finding whatever works for you (whether it’s prayer, talking to people, medication or finding a way of relating to your voices). Whilst many of us do keep hearing voices, it is also true that others stop hearing voices (sometimes because the life issues that trigger, or worsen, the voices have been resolved). Still, your attitude of acceptance, self-belief and choice sound really helpful. Best wishes to you 🙂

I wonder if anyone can relate to this. Do people who hear voices have conversations with them? The other day, I overheard my sister having a rather long conversation with herself. She thought that she was alone in the house. She was laughing and talking to no-one. I am concerned because we have a family history of mental illness.
Her behaviour has always struck me as slightly odd. She is very self centred and egotistical. She lives with me and I am a single parent with 2 children, one of whom is disabled. She has never offered to help and locks herself away in her room all the time. She behaves more like a lodger than a member of the family. She is often irrational and unreasonable about things. Her room is a sight! It is absolutely jammed packed full of “stuff”.
She once told me about seeing someone jump in the River Thames but not see a splash.
I’m not sure that to do.

I do indeed talk to my “brain”. I know it’s not a real person, ghost, or something but it does respond and talk to me seperate than anything I am thinking. I firmly believe as long as you know what you’re hearing isn’t real, and there is no influence to do “wrong” there’s no harm.

Hi !
I too have mental health issues in my family and I do speak to myself very often, but I don’t hear voices.
I’ve been trough traumatic experiences in my childhood (domestic violence), but thankfully never had depression. (Ups and downs, like everyone). But my 2 sisters and my brother suffer from depression and two of them have been to psychiatric hospitals a few times (my brother tried to kill himself twice.)

I guess I’m the lucky one, but I do speak to myself all the time. Not because I hear voices, but it’s a kind of therapy to me. I’m very secretive, at least regarding my feelings. And i suppose it’s my way of letting things out. I used to play music, which helped, but not really anymore, and I when I feel a “pressure” inside, I need to talk alone. Most of the time, I speak to “someone” (like a boss, or a member of my family), but I am aware it isn’t real, it’s a bit like training in front of the mirror for an oral exam or an interview.
I’m not really in a position to give you advice regarding your sister, but I hope it can reassure you a little.

Hi there. Some people who hear voices do talk back to them. This doesn’t mean that the person is ill or that you need to be worried – there are lots of different possibilities. Some people hear voices that keep them company (which can be really helpful if they feel lonely or isolated in some way) – talking back to a voice in this situation is like talking to a friend, someone who is always there for you. Whilst hearing voices can be linked to mental health problems (including feeling low, anxious or experiencing periods of psychosis) this doesn’t have to be the case. The best way of finding out how your sister is feeling, and whether she is struggling with anything, is finding a way of talking to her about it in a way that gives her the opportunity to say if something’s bothering her. You might want to tell her a little bit about what you’re worried about, and give her the chance to explain. Knowing a bit more about hearing voices, yourself, might help reassure you. Check out: Intervoice’s Practical Guide to Coping With Voices for down to earth information.

Yep i was talking out loud as well, complete conversations! Felt like as if i was on the phone the whole day. Sometimes i was talking trough my headset pretending to call. Lots of joy laughs love from my side the first months, forgot to check if it was even mutual, kind of hard when there is no one really visable there you know?. and then it became lots of tears and pain for almost half a year, because i was unable to get more money. So much hatred, cursing, i had never ever experienced in my whole real life. The worst things you can call a female. It shocked me so bad! I could not believe that was going on “over my head” thats how men, no woman! think about me, one started and then men took over! Unable to get to work, got fired from a customer service job at the local energy company. Almost felt forced to get money in ways a woman does not want to get money! It was hell on earth i am telling you! im so close of being evicted its -50F degrees right now! They got me so isolated false shame to even leave the house, didnt dare to call on relatives.

Sometimes i still cannot help myself makin a sound and then quicky tell myself not to. What gets me is your view on somone in your household being like that. I mean would not want to be caught having those “meetings” or conversations. Especially with kids around. I learned that it can be kind of dangerous to communicate with them, the voices i mean.

Does or did anyone experienced any physical pains with their experiences? Torture like. With severe pain or pressure on the left side of my head, i heard one nearby: i just want her to pop a vein! I thought and still do: why would anyone try to hurt me so bad, you know? And, i figured you dont want them to get mad and stuff, this is no joke guess it never was. No fun at allll! And then A few told me just because we can. Scary right?

Or electric shocks?! Pulsing. Every 1:30 min As if there is a helmet on yur head, with some serious beta, or theta shockwaves. Every minute or 2, or every half hour. Urgh it was so annoying. Cant remember the story on that one.

And my ears! Darn my ears! Anyone? The pressure at one point, the inner ear! Rigth beside your jaws. As if you cannot close them or really wish to close the ears if that was physically possible, i used to get ear plugs as i got to bed. Smetimes i still do. To dim or silence them, not realy though, at least it diminished the pain.

Also outerspace storys, how extra terrestrial beings Suddenly made somekind of sense how easily a humans mind can be infiltrated by it, them or other human. How the power of ones mind can influence one other. What one mind can do is one thing, imagine what can happen to one man if there is a whole group of “people” sharing one mind, one vision, one goal, roll with it or die. Though stuff!

Different dimentions and or Godly interventions. I mean try to get “closer to God” or a God or the one and only God or the Allmighty heavently father of Jesus Christ in prayer, and one will get verrryyy jealous, i guess. Convincing you how to not believe Jesus died for our sins. In every possible way, gosh like doesnt every one has some sort of rigth to believe wtvr they want?! Like respect one another And their minds?! No, but then youll have to die, cus Jesus didnt made it past 33, its 2012 (backthen) new world things, new age, the “rise of the egyptian gods” wich were really kings and queens, sons of God, but aint we all then. Wherent the egyptians repressing the hebrews.

Money! Rules this world, we rule this world. Pff i heard so many. Lots of ” teachings” as well. Almost made me wish to be born in a different era, cus well yeh i wasnt raised that way, though that seems no excuse, im weak for being unable to “keep up. ”

So it was also somekind of wake up call, to step my game up and stuff, for some reason. Or get out. Out of life that is. Never felt more worthless. Besides the real sexual abuse and the visions of sexual abuse, the fostercares, judicial youth institute, physical abuse etc.

Nah, by the time you get 25, yur allready done. Goodnight and God bless! ( even though blessing seem to come with burdens if you want to be alive ? Am i wrong? ) please tell me if i am. One said: carefull what you wish for, cus you just might get it. Especially in prayer, made me feel as if my prayers were interupted, or i was praying to a wrong god) never felt so embarrassed in my whole short life, i tell you that. Srry i cant seem to stop writing now. Dont feel weird not letting my posts trough i wont take it personal.

Itsbjust… So much had happend… They are so intriguing, can be inspiring, then again use their “power” or gift so uhm… mean i guess. I cant find the word. I just tell my self it wasvall just an illusion, a figment of my imagination, my was making it all up. Allthough i know somewhere its not, its so very real and happening. See it all around you yet nobody seems to notice or does not want to. Really i didnt know what i knw now nd i never reallyaksed for It. -one-

i have been hearing voices on and off most my life i mostly hear 1 a girl thats the same age as me its like shes growing up as i do but sometimes i hear a boy he is 16 and always has been he has no name tho .the boy is really nice , this might sound odd but he says he loves me and he talks to me like in his girlfriend or something ( never anything dirty tho )witch is nice but its odd cz hes been hear on and off all my life, but he isnt in my head it more like he is in the walls he only come out when im alone at night or when its dark. the girl is nice most of the time but she has a temper she isin my head unlike the boy and she has a name (ash) she shouts at me sometime but when she dose she sounds like ten people shouting, she only shouts at me when some1 in “real life” is shouting or having a go at me and i dont shout back witch can be every overweling but most of the time she is just talking to me about thing i am worried about or drawaing she loves watching me draw.. i have had the voise on and off all my life but it has been getting more and more this last 3 years now i hear ash almost every day but the boy only once or twise a month. i dont know how long iv had theys voices for exactly but my mum said when i was little i would talk to myself in the mirror cz i thought it was my twin she just thought i was play like kids do but i think i was talking to ash becouse she likes it when i look in the mirror when she is talking…. i was just wonder if the is any ways of coping with ash’s shouting

It’s hard to do all this on your own. Does anyone you trust know about your voices? Finding a counsellor or someone understanding to talk to might help you make sense of why Ash gets so angry when other people get angry at you – once you understand it you might be able to do something to help her calm down (and hopefully get angry less often). If you want to email us at HVN (nhvn@hotmail.co.uk) to get ideas about who to talk to, please do.

I have been hearing voices for two years. I hear my mums voice sometimes she is not alive anymore i found her dead body on new years day this year. Bless her heart. I like hearing her voice and sometimes talk to her back. However im not sure about something i can hear my voice when stressed usually when i leave my flat to go outside. Its either that or i am shouting stuff out. i feel embarrassed when outside or around other people because im not sure if im shouting out or hearing my voice. Ive asked people if im shouting out but they say im not. So it must be my voice in my head. The voice in my head sounds loud its my voice. I hear my voice in my head saying swear words to people when i am talking to them. Im never sure whether i have said the swearing to the person ot loud and offended that person. When im outside because of this i sometimes put water in my mouth so cant shout out. I dont like taking medication because it makes me put on too much weight and feel low. All this is making me paranoid to go out and paranoid to be around other people.

Hi Sam. That sounds really stressful. Have you got any support for this – anyone to talk to? You might want to start with our online forum (www.hvn.forumatic.com) to share your experiences and get some ideas from other people who’ve been in similar situations. A Hearing Voices Group could be good too. Whilst you find it hard to be around people, members of a Hearing Voices Group would be understanding and supportive – especially if you explain what you’re worried about. It’s one place that people would be understanding even if you do say something the voice says (even though, from what you’ve said, that sounds really unlikely).

It can really help to speak to someone to try and make sense of why you’re hearing this voice. Understanding it could really help you feel better about what’s happening – and maybe find a solution that works for you. A good starting point is this Intervoice page: ww.intervoiceonline.org/support-recovery/a-practical-guide. If you want to talk things through with a HVN volunteer, you can email us at nhvn@hotmail.co.uk

I have one “other” voice, I’ve become used to. It talks to me and I talk back. I hide it for the most part but good friends and my fiance know. Every so often they’ll catch me talking and I typically just call it my brain talking to me. I know it’s not really real and it doesn’t try to influence me to do crazy or mean stuff. It’s more like not really ever being alone. It’s not like thinking to myself because i actually hear it. The only thing that really bothers me is when i problem solve and my brain and i talk it out. Of course people only hear one side and when i explain it comed out as “WE” were just figuring stuff out.

I have been hearing people call my name starting at the beginning of August, when I heard my mom say my name right next to my ear when she was in a different room. I heard a man’s voice about two weeks later say my name when I was home alone, and now I’ll hear someone say my name once every couple of days. I just started high school, and I noticed that I never hear voices in the building. The voices are people I know and don’t know in all ages and genders. It’s never my real name, only my nickname, and now I’ve learned to look around me and see if someone is there before answering the call. I’m relieved to know that there probably isn’t anything wrong with me.

Hi. I’m glad that finding this site has reassured you. You’re right, lots of people hear voices and don’t have a problem with it. That you’ve got a way of working out whether it’s a voice or someone calling you is a really good thing, too. If these experiences start to annoy or stress you out, it’s worth trying to work out if there is any pattern to it (some people keep a diary to see whether the voices are linked to any feelings, times or places). Voice Collective (a London-based project supporting young people who hear voices) have lots of info on coping if you need it: http://www.voicecollective.co.uk/coping/coping_main.html. If you do want to talk to someone about your experiences – please do. Things can sometimes be harder to deal with if you’re facing them on your own.

Another thing besides for my name being called are a group of people inside my head. Unlike the voices, I know that they are in my head, but I talk to them (sometimes out loud, sometimes internally) every day. I can make them appear when I want to, and I ‘see’ them even though I know they’re not there. I call them ‘midusions’ because if you say it in your head it sounds nice but if you say it out loud it’s all clunky on your tongue. the first one, Sierra, I’ve had since the beginning of fourth grade (so for 5 years) and she appeared after I had a dream about her. I started seeing Mike and Joey two summers ago, and Meiki (female) came into my head almost a year ago. I can talk to them and make them show up whenever I want to, but they all think for themselves and have their own opinions so I know I’m not making it up.
Two years ago in June (a month before Mike and Joey) Sierra was stolen from me when I was in my backyard. She was gone for days and all I could see of her was her screaming and crying for help in a cement room. It was torture because my parents don’t know about my midusions so I had to act normal while I could see and hear Sierra trapped and screaming. When I finally got her back, something wasn’t right and it took me another few days of internal battle to keep her safe in my mind and away from anything that could hurt her like that again. A few months ago, I wrote a song about what happened and one of my best friends overheard it and became really worried. She wanted to know what happened but I couldn’t get the strength to tell her to her face so I emailed her the story and she’s been very good about not telling anyone. Until now, she was the only other person who knew. My midusions are all older then me by a few months and age like regular people. I forgot to mention that before. I’d really like to know if anyone is experiencing anything similar to this. Thanks!

Hi, thanks for sharing that. We’ve met quite a few other young people with experiences like these – so you’re not on your own with it. Do you have any idea why Sierra and the others are with you? Sometimes people have people inside their head when they’ve gone through a really tough time, or have been really lonely – and feel like these people protect them and keep them safe (but sometimes it can get very confusing too). It’s good that you managed to reassure your friend when you opened up to her. How would you feel about talking to someone else about it (or writing a letter for them, if talking is difficult)? It sounds like it’s quite exhausting when there are internal battles that you need to deal with (when the people around you don’t know what you’re struggling with). Is there anyone in your life that you might think about sharing this with? You can always email us or childline (http://www.childline.org.uk/talk/Pages/Talk.aspx) if you need someone to talk things through with.

We have a sister organisation in the US, called Hearing Voices Network USA. I know there are a number of groups in MAS, so you may be able to find one near you. Just get in touch with them to find out more: http://www.hearingvoicesusa.org

I have one voice in my head. I don’t know “this voice” for it sounds like it is in it’s 20’s or so. I don’t know if it is a boy or girl though. Just a couple days ago I was in class when all of a sudden this voice started talking to me, I can’t recall what it said to me but then flashes of my past started flashing through my head. It was actually quite horrifying. I ended up crawling into a ball and trying to disappear. When my teacher heard me talking randomly out loud I was simply just replying to this voice and telling it to stop or leave me alone, I’m trying to work and now he thinks I’m completely insane and talk to myself. At the time I was on A.D.D pills so I still wonder how it managed to overcome my focus and distract me. It has led me to depression and it was very difficult to get out of but I overcame it and now fear for what will come next. The voice in my head hasn’t talked to me for a couple months now so I don’t know why it started now. It’s also always right about some situations which kind of scares me. This is new to me for I am only 15 and don’t think I should have to go through this. I just want to know if it can cause night terrors? or if it wants anything from me? How can I have conversations with it? and why did it suddenly remind me of my past.

That sounds really frightening – especially as it was linked to flashes from your past and you have lots of unanswered questions about the experience. For many, not knowing whether the voice is going to happen again can be really worrying. It’s hard to give you definite answers (everyone is different), but a lot of this hinges on what you believe your voice is. Sometimes, when people have voices that remind them of their past it can be because there’s a bit of that past that is shut away but hasn’t been dealt with. They can be a reminder to talk to someone about it and get some help (especially if they are also saying things that make you fear other people, or are causing you problems in another way). When people go through bad stuff, it’s normal not to deal with it all in one go. Others find that voices like this come because there’s something in the present that is bothering them. Is there anyone you trust to talk to about these experiences (a counsellor, teacher or someone in your family)? You don’t need to go through this alone. If you want to speak to youth projects about this, Voice Collective (www.voicecollective.co.uk) supports young people who hear voices, and Childline (0800 11 11) is always on the other end of the phone.

I have no idea how we got on the subject, but me 41 year old husband said he physically hears a voice when he is about to do something wrong. What’s more strange …it’s mine! He said it use to be his Grandmother, but now it’s me. He said he sometimes looks around, thinking I am right there. I said that wasn’t “normal” and asked my 16 year old, who said the same thing! He said he too hears my voice, when he is trying to do the right thing, and it is clear like I am right there. He said it has happened several times. I then asked my other two sons, and one said, he has a voice that is me, and the othe says it’s God. Thankfully, my daughter is the only other one who said- “No, I don’t hear voices, just think” . What is more fascinating, is that my 16 year old, hears himself think( super normal), but sometimes thinks so loudly, he thinks he said what he was thinking, and has to look around to see if anyone noticed. Seeing that this is obviously genetic, I wonder whether or not there is an actual thought process that becomes confused and manifests into a false auditory response. Please instruct on the normality of me being my family’s inner voice. 🙂

Hi. Thanks for your comment – that’s really interesting. It reminded me a little of Julian Jaynes ideas about the origin of consciousness (www.julianjaynes.org/bicameralmind.php). His idea was that in the very early days of humanity we all heard voices when decisions needed to be made (especially ones that provoked a feeling of stress) and that these voices were experienced as Gods or Elders (people who knew what to do). It’s an interesting idea, and perhaps worth checking out. You might also want to look at ‘Hearing Voices: A Common Human Experience’ by John Watkins that explores lots of different types of voices (and beliefs about voices). Hopefully these will give you the extra information that you need.

Hearing voices in itself is quite a ‘normal’ experience – in that it’s very common and for the vast majority of people doesn’t cause a problem. Being confused about whether you’ve said something, or merely thought it, is also a relatively common experience too. However, if either of your sons start to struggle with their experiences it’s definitely worth encouraging them to get some extra support.

i been hearing voices since college. mostly i experienced it early in the morning when i woke up from a deep sleep. Usually 3:00 A.M in the morning, someone is singing from the outside but the voice seems like too far from me. even if i cover my ears with my pillow still i can hear her. It was 3 days straight that i can hear her singing. But, i was so confused because when i ask my mother and father if they hear same voice in the morning, they said they don’t hear anything.

Hi, hearing voices or singing when you wake up is pretty common – but it can be disorientating too, especially when you find out that other people can’t hear it either. For many people, these experiences don’t cause a problem – but if you’re finding it difficult to deal with it might be good to speak to someone about it so you can work out why it’s happening. Apart from being confusing, how does hearing this singing affect you? Is there anyone you can talk to about it?

After resolving traumatic experiences and getting older, I do not hear hostile voices when I hear them. I also no longer hear voices very often, and when I have it was helpful. I began hearing them in the hospital, after being put on medication, and dealing with the isolation of being there with no one to speak my thoughts to. I didn’t feel heard, so I began disconnecting and the voices spoke for me. But no one else could hear them, obviously. I also had telling dreams often in hospitals about the risks of medications. I learned things from these dreams without actually being told them. I saw past experiences of others, and future ones. I had premonitions. Other paranormal experiences happened, which is actually why I stay on the medication.

Paranormal experiences can frighten me, and without connecting all the pieces it’s pointless to have them alone. For instance, writings appearing on notes and writings on mist upon mirrors in the bathroom, though no one had taken a shower, which could have been done by someone but it happened the second I walked back from walking away, but I’ve always had these experiences. Physical coins appearing in an instant, after walking away then walking back, time glitches, time stopping, reversing, or freezing. Knowing things psychically like calculations. Being told about people I shouldn’t trust and ignoring it, to find out the voice was right. Instincts.

Recently I went for a week without the meds and kinda feel I was spoken to by an Angel who was sympathizing with my situation, but who can be certain? The more I pray for my mom the more better she seems, who also suffers from “schizophrenia” but hers seems like a real problem. Mine actually manifests in different ways than hers does. I do not have false memories or delusions but she does. When I was delusional though, on the onset of my disorder, I was very sensitive. Hypersensitive thinking computers stole the light from people because of how bright and intoxicating they felt to me. I found metaphors to relate to my sensitivity.

My mom also complains of constant seizures or headaches and I really wish she’d see a neurologist she could have prefrontal seizures. I know she wouldn’t be making it up. She seriously is being “shocked” by something, it also happened to me earlier when I got off the meds. I woke up and felt there was a force attacking me with shocks or seizures. I literally felt tortured with zaps of electricity. The more I told it to “please stop” the harder the seizures came, which is what made me suspicious of evil or aliens or something. I also heard drilling under the basement. I do live in WV, maybe it’s something paranormal, who knows?

The things I learned in the hospital were I was seeing dreams of a man who had his frontal lobe removed, and he was pointing at the image to a bunch of students or scientists. This was before I knew the word “frontal lobe” as I was sixteen. All I could feel was disgust for the doctor, knowing he had destroyed this man’s brain and made him catatonic. Another dream was later in the hospital when I had a vision of a doctor filling out blood sample paperwork, arguing with a higher up doctor that there was significant white blood cell loss due to the anti-psychotic medications. The higher up doctors told him to keep quiet about it.

I’m sick of keeping quiet. I want to hear my voices, see my visions, and talk with God again. But even God wants me to wait until the time is right.

Hi, thanks for sharing your experiences with us. It sounds like being sensitive and intuitive can be quite confusing at times – untangling the things you’re hearing, seeing, feeling and dreaming and making sense of it can be difficult. Its a shame you feel you need to stay quiet – is there anyone you have in your life that you can talk to about your experiences and feel listened to? If you’re in WV (that’s in the US, right) you might want to get in touch with the lovely people at Hearing Voices Network USA. They’re a small and new organisation, but they work really hard to create safe places for people with voices and visions to come together to share experiences and support one another. You can get in touch with them through their website: http://www.hearingvoicesusa.org. Best wishes.

What about voices associated with sensations of being physically mauled? In other words grabbed and rolled. Also, I have had the sensation of leaving my body and have met a being, which was followed by many visions. Subsequently, I lost interest in what became insignificant. I even was homeless, shown by the voices how to live off the grid in preparation for the impending future, and have subsequently been diagnosed as schizo-affective. The atypical anti-psychotic, Olanzapine, that I ingest each day does not abate the voices, which have an origin associated with disembodied intelligences each having their own personality and gender.

Hi Robert. That’s a good point – many people find that the term ‘hearing voices’ just doesn’t describe the experience. They might have intense physical sensations, visions or feel that they’re connecting with people or spirits rather than ‘just’ voices. It’s an umbrella term, but it’s not perfect. Whilst medication can help some people, others find it has limited benefit (helping with sleep, or calmness – but not reducing the voices themselves). Others find it doesn’t help at all. Have you had any support to make sense of your experiences, or find ways of dealing with them. If you’re in the UK – check out our list of groups. But if you’re from elsewhere, there are similar networks in other countries. Intervoice has a list: http://www.intervoiceonline.org/about-intervoice/national-networks-2. Let us know if we can help further. Best wishes

People experience visions differently. For some, they are outer experiences (where you see things in the world around you) but for others they are inner experiences (seeing things in your mind). At HVN we’re quite open to how people choose to describe or talk about their experiences, so it depends on whether calling them ‘visions’ is useful to you or not. We’ve met a number of people with experiences similar to yours, though, so if you want to get support from the network or a group – you’re welcome. Also, similar coping strategies can be useful for inner and outer visions.

One thing I have always been confused about when it comes to hearing voices is whether or not the voices have to be heard externally to be considered hallucinations/hearing voices.

I wonder this because I hear voices, but I know they are coming from inside my head. They shout so loud that I can’t focus on anything around me for more than a couple seconds. They have hurt me and made me cry because of what they have said. One of them has even given me the sensation of someone shoving a sword into my brain; the pain was so bad that I thought I was dying, but I was too scared to go for help because I didn’t want to make it worse.

So… I don’t know if my experiences count for anything. Sometimes I feel like I’m making all of this up… but why would I make up things that hurt me so bad? I’m so confused about whether or not what I have experienced is relevant in a conversation about psychoses.

Hi Ash. Thanks for sharing. Your experiences are definitely valid and they sounds really overwhelming at times. There are lots of ways of experience voices, and internal voices are just as valid as external ones. In medical circles, the difference between internal and external voices was seen to be very important – and linked to diagnosis (with ‘true hallucinations’ being the ones outside your head. But, in our experience, this distinction is a red herring. Inner voices can be just as hard to deal with as outer voices, and they are very common (whether or not people are diagnosed with psychosis).

The good news is that the strategies that help with outer voices are equally applicable to inner voices (and any physical sensations that are linked with them). I hope you find something here that helps you – but I also hope that you find someone you feel able to speak to about your experiences. Do email us or sign up to our forum if you’d like to get a bit of extra support (and some help working out who to tell and what you want to say to them). Best wishes.

I have been dealing with voices and visions for a little over a year now. It started out with just a couple, and they were easy to ignore, but they kept getting louder and more prominent. Eventually it got to the point where I completely shut down. I quit my job, distanced myself from friends and family, and more or less locked myself in a room. Now inevitably I got bored, so I began going online, playing games and talking to people I didn’t really know. It was there I met someone whom I came to care about a great deal but I was too emberassed to tell her about my situation; so I lied. I lied so much. I lost myself in them, became someone I wasn’t. Well lies have a tendency of coming apart, and these are no exception. It all came out, everyone found out, they all knew, and they stuck me in a clinic. They put me on some medication and the voices stopped. For the first time in what felt like an eternity it was silent. I was so happy. It’s been a couple months since I got out and I’ve done well for myself; I have a job I love and though we are no longer together, the person I care for is still part of my life. But now I’m terrified, the medication that helped so much is no longer working and they are louder and more hostIle than ever. I don’t know what else to do, I can’t commit myself again, I worked to hard to get where I am right now to lose it because of this. Please help…

Hi Ryan, thanks for getting in touch. I’m sorry you’ve had such a difficult time lately (and that, after a period of quiet and calm, the voices have returned in a more agressive way). Whilst medication can help some people, it’s often not the only solution. As your voices have returned, it may be helpful to talk with someone about what triggered the voices in the first place (and what is triggering them know). Understanding more about the experience can help you find a way of dealing with it (and keeping hold of the life that you are building). People can, and do, find ways of making sense of their experiences and living a life that they choose (not the one they feel is chosen for them by the voices).

Do you have anyone you can talk to? Getting in touch with your local Hearing Voices Network could be a good idea (that’s us – if you’re based in England), but if you’re from another country check out http://www.intervoiceonline.org to see if there’s somewhere near you that can help. Some people find a counsellor that can help them make sense of things, too.

If there’s nowhere near you, you might want to read Rufus May’s Changing The Power Relationship with Your Voices or Intervoice’s A Practical Guide to Coping With Voices. Both have some really good ideas in. The important thing is to get some support to make sene of what’s happening so that you can find a way through it. Best wishes 🙂

hey ryan
im a finn so sorry about my bad english but i feel your pain cos iv been throught all that and seriously almost killed myself but dont hear anything anymore if i dont wanna.i still eat old 50’s medicine called peratsin 8mgs a day,when few years ago 24mg,they wanted to upgrade my meds but why upgrade something what works? about those voices is like fighting against urself and i always lost cos nobody is perfect.one what could help is just accept yourself as you are,sounds easy and its not but when those voices are getting best of you,theres no way of winning.one thing i learned was that those voices are smarter than “me” dont ask me what they are cos i dunno.i dont work anymore cos im schizoprenic or however you spell it, but i dont care.got own house great neighbours i like to spook sometimes,because when you get over it you are a lot more sensitive and just know things others have no idea..i must tell you that back in 99 ididnt sleep a sec for 5 days and solution was bottle of whiskey and then i got time to recover a bit after some sleep
dont give up man

I keep waking up scared and freaking out Icould be in a deep sleep here something and wake up seeing something related to the noise I’ve heard. I then sense thing and things happen when I’m sensing it like light blowing something just randomly falling inside a cupboard or off the bed I smell whiskey and strong smells and often fell like there is a presence it’s got woes esunce my partner went on night shift and I’m in a new house so I don’t like being in on my own, what is this? Is it real or am I stressed is my mind playing trick on me . I have to instantly have someone come over or I can’t sleep. Help what should or can I do?

Hearing, seeing or sensing things when you wake up is really common. There are lots of different ways of understanding it, so I can’t give any definite answers. However, as things have got more intense since you moved to a new house and your partner isn’t with you during the night, it may be that it’s linked to not feeling safe/comfortable at night. To check that out, is there any way that you can make your room feel safer? Some people make sure that there are lots of items near their bed that remind them of familiar things, others make sure there are pleasant smells around. People with religious beliefs might ask someone to bless their house, or say a prayer or mantra. Others find having a dog or cat can be helpful (as they believe that an animal is very sensitive so if there is someone there the dog will be alert to it before the person will – therefore if the dog is sleeping and relaxed it’s OK for the person to relax). Everyone’s different – but trying out some of these ideas can be a good starting point. Finally, if it is related to how you feel in the new house its probably worth talking to someone about it. Is there anyone you feel OK to talk to?

my dad has for over 20 years been hearing abusive words.for example when you greet him, he will hear how are you dog?we couldnt even talk whilw younger.he separated with my mum because he said my mum and us children were disrespecting him by abusing him, basically he fights a lot with people.what caises this!

Hi, that sounds really confusing (for you, your family and your dad). Unfortunately as everyone is different, it’s impossible for us to give definite answers. There are lots of different things that can cause difficult voices – sometimes the voices are linked to things from the past (so if your dad had people in his life, years ago, treating him badly then he might be hearing it as if it’s happening in the now). Sometimes they are linked to worries or concerns that a person has. Other times they say things that keep the person away from the people they care about (as if they don’t deserve support, or that the only way to protect themselves is to be alone). For others, it can be related to a hearing problem (where they can’t properly hear what’s being said, so the voices fill in the gaps). Without talking with your dad, it’s impossible to know for sure. Do you know if there is anyone in his life that he feels able to talk to or trust?

Thank you so much.I really pity my dad,he got a new wife whom he chased that she was abusing him.At one time he was seeing a counsellor but later refused and said it was a plan to con him out of money.Its really bad he is always alone, abuses neighbours, threatens people.Nobody respects him anymore.He doesnt listen to anyone, even his own mum fears him.I wish i could help him….but i dont see how?

I was directed here all so because I hear voices in my head and they aren’t the nicest thing for me to have as i’m only 16, I’ve been having them for a year and they’re getting worse and worse and i’m finally getting all the help i can and this is really helpful information to have so thank you! 😀

Hi Jade. I’m very glad that someone directed you here – and that you are getting the help you need after such a difficult time. As you’re only 16, you might want to check out http://www.voicecollective.co.uk (a project for young people who hear voices or see visions) as they can provide extra support and information too. Best wishes 😀

I quite like hearing the voice of a being who named herself La-Cinderella in my head. She is real, it’s not schizophrenia as i’m more like an Urban Shaman rather than a traditional schizophrenic with mental problems. When La-Cinderella talks to me i have a few things to do to keep her under control like call her La-La or i pretend to be a baby penguin. (Think of it like this: She’s a demon breaking into my mind and trying to annoy me so i compare it to Home Alone where the kid lets the bad burglars into the house but sets booby traps to thwart their evil robbery plans)

It’s like she’s curious about me and some of my mystical powers that i dont speak to anyone about much as that may get me into trouble. When she first began to speak to me she put a face on the wall in my back garden which i managed to photograph and still look at from time to time because very detailed and its not a hallucination and it’s not Pareidolia.

Anyone who knows about Terrence McKenna will have probably heard how alot of people who try Psychedelics will experience cartoon-like encounters with beings and i believe this is what is happening.

I feel blessed that a being from another world would come and find me curious despite the fact that she could be malicious to me when i was more vulnerable to her attacks. All in all i think it’s a great learning experience because i do believe that before we incarnate on the earth as a peson we have a list of goals and things to strive for in this one life-time and having a mental illness which may or may not have been caused by a forced spiritual awakening and all my other experiences mean that i know i will prosper in my next set of life-times and it’s better than being an average person who lives a mundane life-style 🙂

I noticed that I have voices was about 2 years ago and I can’t seem to cope with them they tell other people my bussiness and call me names. Someone told me that other people cant hear my voices but im certain they can. My voice tells me that he doesnt luke me and doesnt want to talk to me. I feel if we got along with each other then mabey I could cope with them alot better. Can you tell me something that I could do to make this go away or at least get help with it

Hi Lindsay. I’m sorry you’re having such trouble with the voices you’re hearing. It sounds like it could be really confusing having people tell you that they can’t hear the voices you can hear, but you being sure that they can. If it matters to you whether others can hear the voices (especially if you’re worried about others finding out your business) you might want to try using a tape recorder or dictaphone to see if the voices can be recorded or not. Some people find this helpful (others less so – we’re all different, after all).

Having a voice that talks about you but won’t talk with you is a real challenge – especially if you want to find a way of getting on with them better. Some people find it helpful explore what seems to make the voice(s) better or worse (louder, quieter, calmer or more angry). Keeping a diary can be useful, as it’s not always easy to keep track of what’s happened whilst it’s at its worse. These can be internal (thoughts or feelings you’re having), but they can also be what happens in the world around you (situations, places, times of day). You might also want to try looking through our resources page. All this is a lot to deal with on your own, though. Getting some support is ideal. You might want to try going to a Hearing Voices Group (look at our Find a Group page to see if there is one in your area). You might also want to find someone to talk to 1-2-1 (this might be a counsellor, a mental health worker, your GP or someone you trust). If you want to have a chat about where to get support just email us at nhvn@hotmail.co.uk. Good luck getting the help you need.

Hi, I started to hear voices inside of my head a few years ago, right after something terrible happened to me. I had a guy coming up on me at work and then he did me in a horrible manner and then started to harrass me. A few months later, another guy came and dim almost the same. That is, regardless of what is right or wrong, I personally could not help feeling like I was raped twice under a big pressure of having to like them. Sort of like a small village atmosphere was there at work and all I could do was secretly crying out so hard and kept everything secret, which obviously ended up hurting my body and mind, until I became ill all the time with dried up dehydrated hair. Then I started to hear the voice. So I could at least understand how it filled up my head feeling too lonely and empty, but considering what I had to give up, I still cannot help feeling anger. I was scared to death when it first happened.
Recently, things have worked out better and I am happy to be able to live much happier now, but instead, I lost too much; most importantly time, valuable people in my life, confident, freedom of thinking, peaceful life, and stuff. Cost so much, too.
It also makes it harder to build a good relationship with those who you want. I am just fed up with it, and it is sad that there are many people suffering from it.
However, I started to realize how it is only a tiny part of my vicious cycle, which makes me want to adress a drastic positive change in my life.

Dear YS. Thanks for sharing your experiences. It sounds like you’ve had a really horrible time of it, and I’m sorry you have suffered so much. It’s good to hear that things are starting to get better for you – and that you’re starting to see the voices as part of a bigger issue. We’ve found it can be useful to see voices as ‘messengers’, in that they often point to things in our lives that are causing us problems or difficulties. The extra challenge is that sometimes they cause extra problems too (which can be hard to deal with). I hope that the positive change you speak of works well for you. Best wishes.

I never heard voices before the birth of my daughter. Two months after giving birth I began to hear what sounded like a radio playing very quietly. The voices were muffled and no one else heard them. I disconnected all the speakers in my living room and even turned off the main power breaker in my home to silence the noise but soon the radio sound became the least of my problems. I began to hear many different types of voices.

I would hear what sounded like military radio transmissions from a control center. The voices would talk very technically about equipment and latitudes and longitudes. I would hear my location being relayed to a command center if I was out riding my bike in the neighborhood. I was afraid my boyfriend had an illegal ham radio or something…

I also heard what I decided were ghosts, people that used to live in the home we were renting. I would hear a mans voice and a womans talking about my cigarette smoking habit and how my boyfriend would move all the mans belongings around in the garage. The woman told me a story of four little kids and how none of them lived to be school age. She kept saying, “And he didnt even get to go to school!”.. she warned me of a trick penny, or a hot penny that hid somewhere in the vicinity of the kitchen sink area… I took it to mean that the house had faulty wiring and it did, so I wonder if it was a voice from beyond warning me of a potential deathly hazard…

The voices progressed into very threatening voices that talked about doing harm to me and my young daughter.. I would hear a mans voice describing his plan to break into our house and set fire to it.. I would become so terrified sometimes that I would call my parents in another state and have them keep me on speakerphone while I took a bath so that they could call 911 if I was unable to..

The voices would also taunt me and point out my physical weaknesses or insecurities and say horrible jokes about me.. These voices never spoke to me directly but it was as if I was hearing a conversation from 20 feet away.. I was constantly looking outside or expecting to find friends in the garage with my boyfriend out back, but when I would check, none of the people who’s voices I had heard were there…

I would also hear a continuing story of a lost girl who’s sisters believed she had been the victim of foul play.. Her entire family lived in Eastern Europe, and had sent the girls to the US. They had no money and it was difficult to set a date for when she had gone missing because the sisters had grown estranged from her.. I became so obsessed with this young girl, Mischa or Mary, that I checked the nationwide missing persons and other lists daily hoping to find her… hoping to find her, prove she was real, so that I could help… if I was psychic or something…

Random words, very technical words from science, physics, medicine, and names would repeat themselves over and over in my mind. I would never have heard these words or phrases before and I would ask people if they knew what I was talking about, it made friends very uncomfortable, so I started googling the words and phrases… It was bizarre how randomly generated yet precise the words were in corresponding exactly to real words and phrases… One day I kept hearing the word “Airstream” over and over… there really is no definition for airstream other that a stream of air, so the voices told me more, that everything sensory in this universe can be experienced by becoming attuned to the airstream.. It was haunting, yet I wonder if there is a truth to it…

The last types of voices I would hear were very detailed conversations regarding the Masonic church. It was as if I was listening into a Masonic seminar or a meeting or something where numerous people were named by title and multiple references were made to written works and certain chapters or sections were sited, precisely..

After four months of these voices I began to fear for the safety of the people around me and I sought professional advice. I was perscribed an antipsychotic, Abilify, and it works lovely. I stopped taking it after 9 months, and immediately began hearing radio transmissions again. I am back on my medication, but I wonder if there is more to life than what we all accept as “normal”.. I wonder about life when I heard voices, and although it was scary at times and exhausting, could there be a reality behind the voices… Is there more to it, because if the voices can create realities in 16 different directions, then how can this single perspective be all there is…

Hi – thanks for sharing your experiences with us. It’s great that you’ve found some peace with the medication, especially as some of the voices you heard were very critical and frightening. However, you’re not alone in wondering whether all voices are the same and whether there is more to voice-hearing than a medical condition. There are lots of different perspectives on voice-hearing, so maybe it’d be helpful to read some books. I can suggest Hearing Voices: A Common Human Experience and Hearing Voices: The Histories, Causes and Meanings of Auditory Hallucinations as a good starting point. The authors look at lots of different types of experiences.

Whatever the cause, often the important thing is to find ways of dealing with, and understanding, the experiences. Medication is one way of dealing with them, but there are others. Perhaps you could contact the Hearing Voices Network USA to find out more about groups in the US (I’m guessing you’re over there as you mentioned 911).

My new partner has just exposed his secret to me………….And I am grateful that he did. He always seems to be preoccupied or distracted or you could even say he is “busy” all the time but not doing anything much and his eyes tend to dart around. I understand that this is real and confusing for him to get some tasks completed. He sometimes has asked me if I see what he is seeing but I certainly don’t. He used to make light of these things with remarks and would tell me like it was something that happened to another person or with…”Wouldn’t it be strange if this was to happen right now?” just to gauge my reaction. I reassure him that all is ok and tell him what I am seeing. I try to make him feel comfortable and safe.

Being just 40 years of age he has a history of mental illness- Bipolar 2 and takes Lithium. He also has a history of drug abuse spanning over the last 22 years with violence towards authority with extreme behaviours which has led him to incarceration He is also the most caring and loving person that I have met in a lot of years. With boy like qualities- almost Peter Pan like sometimes- I enjoy his time and his affections and his experiences also. He is most creative, spontaneous and witty person that I have ever crossed paths with.

He tells me of lots of noise in his head, female voices calling to him to follow, being told that people are coming to hurt him, lights flashing, distorted perceptions, touching him and the list goes on. He also tells me that when he abuses drugs, these voices are louder and he needs to see what they want, almost compelled to. He is completely honest with me about all of his habits and addictions and his past.

I myself have a history of mental illness and understand that these “experiences” can be real and scary. Also experiencing an assault that left me smelly fuel and scared for a long time but with help from professionals and great friends, all has turned out for me. I work in an industry that deals with mental illness and behavioural issues and barriers and want to help him and reassure him that he is okay and that he isn’t alone in this.

He is embarrassed by this and claims to have never exposed this to anyone but yet has dealt with mental health specialist for many many years. I really do love him and want to help him get through this but I am not sure how to go about assisting him further without exposing him. He has a court case coming up that looks like his freedom could be revoked. He was given the wrong medication and this triggered further images and noise and paranoia with the medical person being removed from practising as he wasn’t the only person to be given incorrect meds. He doesn’t want the world- especially not those of his family and friends- knowing that this happens to him. I have tried to explain that he needs to speak up about this but he refuses. I will not force him to expose this either.

He tells me that he has had these voices and “extra’s” in his life for as long as he can remember and was always different as a child compared to his siblings. Not quiet fitting in with them and his parents. He tells me that I make him feel calm and he can think a bit clearer when he is with me. All I can offer him is support and empathy and get as much information for him and I to move on with a more productive self. So any type of information that can be offered as a guide, tool or knowledge with be very much appreciated indeed.

Hi Pauline, it’s great that you’re so understanding of your partner’s difficulties – and that you want to help support him to open up about them. Hearing voices and seeing visions carries so much stigma that it is common that people keep quiet for fear of being labelled ‘mad’. Also, if the voices have been around for a long time, opening up about them can feel a bit like revealing a secret that you kind of like to have to yourself. If your partner has never opened up, he many never have heard about others who have these ‘extras’ in their lives. Perhaps printing off bits of this website (the personal stories) or getting the Living With Voices: 50 Stories of Recovery book may help challenge some of the stigma he may be feeling. You may also want to print off ‘A Practical Guide to Coping with Voices‘ from the Intervoice site. These are good starting points. I wish you, and your partner, the very best.

i have heard voices since 95 and i felt being touched too,way i dont wanna talk.dont heaer anything anymore but i can “turn” em on if i wanna,that option wasnt available for years and i must say it wasnt very fun….
i think best way to get rid of em is accept yourself and keep”low”profile

Hi Brianna, I’m glad that your friend sent you our site. I hope there’s something here that’s helpful to you. If you want to talk with one of our volunteers, you can always email us at nhvn@hotmail.co.uk.

i hear voices too, i think its thoughts not a voices but i am not sure ,it can be anybody that i hear me,other peoples voices,or even music,i have had this problem since a long time i felt it was normal and the voices were just my thought but now i think its voices and i think these voices led me here, i still don;t know if they are voices or thoughts,help me plz.

The voices/thoughts distinction can be really confusing. If the voices are out loud (and sound like they’re coming from outside your head) it’s easier to tell them apart from thoughts. If they’re voices inside your head, though, the line can get really blurry. This is especially true if it feels like the thoughts/voices are coming from elsewhere (i.e. they’re not your own). It can be helpful to see voices and thoughts on a gradient, where they’re similar experiences but voices tend to feel (and sound) even more separate from you.

I was wondering, though – it sounds like it’s really important for you to know whether these experiences are voices or thoughts. Do you know what difference it would make to you? Hearing voices is a common experience, and most voice-hearers don’t have a problem with the voices they hear. It’s just part of their life. If you felt the voices/thoughts were ‘normal’ and they didn’t cause you a problem, perhaps the same is true if you feel they are voices. It’s hard to describe some of these experiences and, sometimes, it’s helpful to choose a word that works for you – regardless of whether it’s a word that others in a similar position to you would choose.

I hope that’s helpful – but please do email our volunteers on nhvn@hotmail.co.uk if you want to talk more.

I am starting to hear my deceased Mothers’ voice, and this is …. well, it’s not exactly ‘scaring’ me, but it’s not a comfort to me either.

This could be because I’ve been diagnosed as having Manic Depression, and am on medications for it. I just started the medication a few months ago, and while I think I ‘may’ have heard my mothers voice before that time, … I don’t think I heard it nearly as often as I have recently.

She doesn’t ‘talk’ to me, but, I’ve heard random phrases that she likes to use, such as
“You little Shit’ or, ‘Ger Over Here’ … in the voice that she used to use when chasing my kids around the house.

But the other day, I heard her calling my name.
I was at work, and her voice was in my ear, saying “Carrie? …. Carrie?! …. Carrie!”
And ……. it made me snap my head up and look around, like I … expected her to … I dunno, be in the room or something.

That was quite …. disconcerting, to me.
Because I don’t recall ever hearing voices like this, and I wonder if I am going crazy, if the medications are messing with me, or if this is a part of my bereavement process that hasn’t completed yet, or …. something.

I don’t know what I should tell my Psych Doctor either.
I think I should tell him but, I am almost afraid of what he might say about it.

Hi Carrie, I hope site helped you find a bit of peace of mind. The experiences you described are relatively common, and don’t mean you’re going ‘crazy’. There are lots of reasons people hear voices of people that they’ve lost – sometimes, as you say, its part of bereavement. It’s possible it’s a reaction to the medication (but it’s best to check with the doc about that, as that’s their field). For others, it happens at a time of stress when they’re struggling with something. Talking to someone about it is a good first step – if you find it hard to speak about it, you could always write it down. Different doctors react differently, but if he is a good one he should listen to you and not make any snap decisions about what the voices are. If you’re interested, it may be helpful to seek out some counselling or a Hearing Voices Group to help you find a way of understanding what is happening and finding a way of dealing with it. Good luck!

hello, since i remember i always listen someone´s else breath, and at the same time i feel a blow over my head and it´s cold. A few years ago i was trying to sleep and i heard a man saying something that i didn´t understand but i still remember it was something like “kindaya” i speak spanish and i´ve never heard that before, i was very scared and i couldn´t sleep by myself for about a week. i sometimes hear different voices and i see dead people, sometimes i feel anguish and i know that someone i know is going to die. one night i went into the kitchen and it was dark and i saw a big grey pyramid i got frightened, trying to look for an explanation i saw that for a few seconds, and then disapeared, even that it happen to me since i was a girl i always have fear that could happen again and again. What can i do?

Hi Misty, that sounds very frightening. If you can, find someone you can talk to – a friend, family member, therapist or doctor. Getting some help to find a way of making sense of this, and dealing with it, sounds very important. You might also want to check out A Practical Guide to Coping with Voices (Intervoice). It’s a great guide to trying to make sense of your experiences.

I’m hearing things and seeing things too! a voice told me to saw the top of my finger but I only did half way as I was to scared! Another told me to cut my shoulder and it really scares me? I don’t feel myself at all do I tell someone? Help

Yes – definitely. It’s really important that you find someone you can talk to about these experiences. You’re not alone in having voices that tell you to do things – and there is a way of learning to understand and deal with these voices – but the first step is getting some help. Speak to your GP or check out our ‘Getting Help & Support‘ page for more info. Take care, and keep resisting any voices that tell you to hurt yourself.